U.S. patent application number 14/650174 was filed with the patent office on 2015-10-22 for device for bonding rubber strip.
This patent application is currently assigned to SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.. Invention is credited to Yoshinobu NAKAMURA.
Application Number | 20150298412 14/650174 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51020715 |
Filed Date | 2015-10-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150298412 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
NAKAMURA; Yoshinobu |
October 22, 2015 |
DEVICE FOR BONDING RUBBER STRIP
Abstract
A rubber strip is bonded with high accuracy to the surface of a
non-linear cylinder-like wound body. The space occupied by the
device is reduced. Provided is a transporting conveyor having a
transporting belt guided rotatably by guiding rollers. A
transporting surface of the transporting belt is provided with a
transporting surface width centerline extending in a straight line
over the entire length thereof. The guiding rollers are distributed
into forward-side guiding rollers and backward-side guiding rollers
in the transporting direction. Since the forward-side guiding
roller is held tiltibly around the transporting surface width
centerline, the transporting surface forms a twistable twisting
transporting surface portion between a forward-side transporting
surface portion supported by the forward-side guiding roller and a
forward-side transporting surface portion supported by the
backward-side guiding roller.
Inventors: |
NAKAMURA; Yoshinobu;
(Kobe-shi, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD. |
Kobe-shi, Hyogo |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES
LTD.
Kobe-shi, Hyogo
JP
|
Family ID: |
51020715 |
Appl. No.: |
14/650174 |
Filed: |
December 2, 2013 |
PCT Filed: |
December 2, 2013 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP2013/082367 |
371 Date: |
June 5, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
156/397 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29D 30/60 20130101;
B29D 30/16 20130101; B29D 30/1628 20130101; B29D 30/30 20130101;
B29D 30/1621 20130101; B29D 30/3021 20130101; B29D 30/3028
20130101 |
International
Class: |
B29D 30/60 20060101
B29D030/60; B29D 30/16 20060101 B29D030/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 27, 2012 |
JP |
2012-285675 |
Claims
1. A device for bonding a rubber strip comprising a applicator to
transport unvulcanized rubber strip to a non-linear cylinder-like
wound body rotationally actuated and to bond the rubber strip
around a the wound body, wherein the applicator comprises a
transporting conveyor having a transporting belt which is rotatably
guided by a plurality of guiding rollers and transports the rubber
strip on a transporting surface; the transporting surface comprises
a transporting surface width centerline extending in a straight
line over the entire length of the transporting surface; and the
guiding rollers are distributed into forward-side guiding rollers
including a foremost-side guiding roller disposed on the foremost
side in the transporting direction and backward-side guiding
rollers including a backmost-side guiding roller disposed on a
backmost side in the transporting direction, and the forward-side
guiding rollers are held tiltibly around the transporting surface
width centerline, so that the transporting surface forms a
twistable twisting transporting surface portion between a
forward-side transporting surface portion supported by the
forward-side guiding rollers and a backward-side transporting
surface portion supported by the backward-side guiding rollers.
2. The device for bonding rubber strip according to claim 1,
wherein the backward-side guiding rollers are supported by a first
frame, and the forward-side guiding rollers are supported by a
second frame held tiltibly by the first frame around the
transporting surface width centerline.
3. The device for bonding rubber strip according to claim 1,
wherein the applicator comprises a pressing conveyor having a
pressing belt which is rotatably guided by a plurality of upper
guiding rollers and presses the rubber strip to the transporting
belt; and the pressing belt comprises a pressing surface comprising
a frontward-side pressing surface portion to press the rubber strip
against the forward-side transporting surface portion, a
backward-side pressing surface portion to press the rubber strip
against the backward-side transporting surface portion, and a
twisting pressing surface portion to press the rubber strip against
the twisting transporting surface portion.
4. The device for bonding rubber strip according to claim 2,
wherein the applicator comprises a pressing conveyor having a
pressing belt which is rotatably guided by a plurality of upper
guiding rollers and presses the rubber strip to the transporting
belt; and the pressing belt comprises a pressing surface comprising
a frontward-side pressing surface portion to press the rubber strip
against the forward-side transporting surface portion, a
backward-side pressing surface portion to press the rubber strip
against the backward-side transporting surface portion, and a
twisting pressing surface portion to press the rubber strip against
the twisting transporting surface portion.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a device for bonding rubber
strip to bond a rubber strip with high accuracy around a non-linear
cylinder-like wound body.
BACKGROUND
[0002] As a method for forming rubber members of a pneumatictire,
well -known i s a strip winding method by use of an unvulcanized
rubber strip. In this method, the rubber strip is continuously
wound in the ti re circumferential direction on a surface of a
wound body such as foam for forming a tire; thereby forming annular
rubber members (tread rubber, sidewall rubber and the like, for
example). In the strip winding method, different kinds of
cross-sectional shapes of the rubber members can be obtained by
varying a winding pitch and the winding number of the rubber
strip.
[0003] And the following Patent Document 1 discloses, as shown in
FIG. 9, a device for bonding a rubber strip (a) for the strip
winding method. The bonding device (a) bonds a rubber strip T with
high accuracy on a surface of a non-linear cylinder-like wound body
(b) such as a drum-like body for example and comprises a
transporting conveyor (c) for transporting the rubber strip.
[0004] In particular, the bonding device (a) comprises:
[0005] (1) a lateral moving means (gx) to laterally move the
transporting conveyor (c) in an X-axis direction, which is parallel
to a shaft center (bi) of the wound body (b),
[0006] (2) an up-and-down move means (gy) to move forward and
backward the transporting conveyor (c) toward the wound body (b) in
a Y-axis direction, and
[0007] (3) a gyrating means (gz) to gyrate the transporting
conveyor (c) around a shaft center (Zi) in a perpendicular z-axis
direction.
[0008] Thus, even when the wound body (b) has a non-linear
cylinder-like profile, a foremost-side guiding roller (e) in the
transporting direction of the transporting conveyor (c) can be
freely inclined in concert with the profile. Therefore, it is
possible to accurately apply the rubber strip (T) without incurring
a large deformation such as a wrinkle and non-uniform growth.
[0009] However, in the above-mentioned structure itself, the entire
of the elongated transporting conveyor (c) gyrating around the
shaft center (Zi) in the perpendicular Z-axis direction. Therefore,
the gyration needs a large space, and it makes difficult to set
parallel with another bonding device. Moreover, in the area inside
the gyration, there is a possibility of collision with the
transporting conveyor (c); therefore, it requires a large
limitation of a working space of a worker, and it leads to a
drawback in working efficiency.
CONVENTIONAL ART DOCUMENTS
Patent Documents
[0010] Patent Document 1: JP 2006-110856
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Problems to be solved by the Invention
[0011] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a device
for bonding rubber strip capable of bonding a device for bonding
rubber strip with high accuracy on a surface of a non-linear
cylinder-like wound body while reducing space occupied by the
device, making parallel setting possible with another bonding
device, and expanding the working space of the worker.
Means for solving the Problems
[0012] The present invention relates to a device for bonding a
rubber strip comprising a applicator to transport unvulcanized
rubber strip to a non-linear cylinder-like wound body rotationally
actuated and to bond the rubber strip around a the wound body,
wherein the applicator comprises a transporting conveyor having a
transporting belt which is rotatably guided by a plurality of
guiding rollers and transports the rubber strip on a transporting
surface;
[0013] the transporting surface comprises a transporting surface
width centerline extending in a straight line over the entire
length of the transporting surface; and
[0014] the guiding rollers are distributed into forward-side
guiding rollers including a foremost-side guiding roller disposed
on the foremost side in the transporting direction and
backward-side guiding rollers including a backmost-side guiding
roller disposed on a backmost side in the transporting direction,
and the forward-side guiding rollers are held tiltibly around the
transporting surface width centerline, so that the transporting
surface forms a twistable twisting transporting surface portion
between a forward-side transporting surface portion supported by
the forward-side guiding rollers and a backward-side transporting
surface portion supported by the backward-side guiding rollers.
[0015] In the bonding device according to the present invention, it
is preferable that the backward-side guiding rollers be supported
by a first frame, and the forward-side guiding rollers be supported
by a second frame held tiltibly by the first frame around the
transporting surface width centerline.
[0016] In the bonding device according to the present invention, it
is preferable that the applicator comprises a pressing conveyor
having a pressing belt which is rotatably guided by a plurality of
upper guiding rollers and presses the rubber strip to the
transporting belt. It is also preferable that the pressing belt
comprises a pressing surface comprising a frontward-side pressing
surface portion to press the rubber strip against the forward-side
transporting surface portion, a backward-side pressing surface
portion to press the rubber strip against the backward-side
transporting surface portion, and a twisting pressing surface
portion to press the rubber strip against the twisting transporting
surface portion.
Effect of Invention
[0017] The bonding device according to the present invention
comprises a transporting conveyor having a transporting belt to
transport a rubber strip as mentioned above, and a transporting
surface of the transporting belt has a transporting surface width
centerline extending in a straight line over the entire length
thereof.
[0018] And, when guiding rollers supporting rotatably the
transporting belt are distributed into the forward-side guiding
rollers in the transporting direction and the backward-side guiding
rollers in the transporting direction, the forward-side guiding
rollers are held tiltibly around the transporting surface width
centerline. Thus, the transporting surface can form the twistable
transporting surface portion between the forward-side transporting
surface portion supported by the forward-side guiding rollers and
the backward-side transporting surface portion supported by the
backward-side guiding rollers.
[0019] Such a transporting conveyor can freely incline the
foremost-side guiding roller in the transporting direction in
concert with the profile of the wound body by the tilt around the
transporting surface width centerline, thereby accurately applying
the rubber strip without incurring a large deformation such as a
wrinkle and non-uniform growth. Moreover, the transporting surface
has a transporting surface width centerline extending in a straight
line over the entire length thereof, in conformity with the tilt of
the foremost-side guiding roller in the transporting direction, it
can accurately and stably transport without changing the length of
the rubber strip.
[0020] The transporting conveyor does not gyrate around the
perpendicular shaft center but tilts around the transporting
surface width centerline. Thus, it makes a large space for gyrating
unnecessary and can diminish in space occupied by the device. This
makes parallel setting possible with another bonding device. This s
makes it possible to expand the working space of the worker while
assuring security for the worker, thereby improving working
efficiency of bonding.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] [FIG. 1] is a side view showing an embodiment of a device
for bonding a rubber strip according to the present invention.
[0022] [FIG. 2] is an enlarged side view of an applicator.
[0023] [FIG. 3] is a side view of a transporting conveyor.
[0024] [FIG. 4] is an exploded perspective view of the transporting
conveyor.
[0025] [FIG. 5] is a conceptual diagram showing a transporting
surface.
[0026] [FIG. 6] is a side view of a pressing conveyor.
[0027] [FIG. 7] (A) to (C) are explanatory views showing a gyration
around a transporting surface width centerline of the transporting
conveyor.
[0028] [FIG. 8] i s an explanatory diagram showing an operation of
the bonding device.
[0029] [FIG. 9] is a perspective view showing a conventional device
for bonding the rubber strip.
EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0030] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be
described in detail.
[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a device for bonding a rubber
strip 1 of the present embodiment (hereinafter, may be simply
called "bonding device 1") comprises an applicator 4 for
transporting an unvulcanized rubber strip T, which is supplied from
a rubber strip supplier 2, to a wound body 3 rotationally actuated
and for applying the rubber strip T around the wound body 3.
[0032] In the present embodiment, the wound body 3 is foam for
forming a tire. By winding the rubber strip T around it, rubber
members such as a tread rubber, for example, are formed. The wound
body 3 comprises a non-linear cylinder-like profile such as a
drum-like profile, for example, in concert with a shape of the
tire. For the rubber strip T, a cord can also be buried inside, in
this instance, a band layer of the tire is formed.
[0033] The rubber strip supplier 2 supplies the rubber strip T to
the bonding device 1. In the present embodiment, the rubber strip
supplier 2 is a so-called roll stand, which supplies from a
wound-up (roll) TR of the rubber strip T previously wound in whorl,
winds off the rubber strip T to supply the bonding device 1. The
sign in drawings shows a peeling tape, which is disposed
alternately with the rubber strip T so as to prevent from adherence
between the rubber strips T on the wound-up TR. The peeling tape 3
is recovered at the time of winding off of the rubber strip T.
[0034] The rubber strip supplier 2 may be a rubber extrusion device
for forming the rubber strip T by extrusion. In this instance, for
the extrusion device, a gear pump extrusion device provided on a
forward end side with a calender roll may be preferably
employed.
[0035] The bonding device 1 according to the present embodiment
comprises a basal table 5, a lift table 9 supported movably up and
down by the basal table 5, and a lateral moving table 6 supported
movably in the lateral direction by the lift table 9. To the
lateral moving table 6, the applicator 4 is attached. The lift
table 9 is supported movably up and down via a lift means 12. The
lift means 12 of the present embodiment comprises a pair of
perpendicular guiding shafts 12a and a perpendicular ball screw
shaft 12b. In the guiding shaft 12a, an upper end is fixed to the
lift table 9, and a lower end is fixed to a lower panel 12c. The
ball screw shaft 12b is rotatably supported by the lift table 9 and
the lower panel 12c, and the lower end portion is connected with a
lift motor M1 attached to the lower panel 12c. The basal table 5
comprises a support panel portion 5a comprising a guide hole for
insertion of the guiding shaft 12a and a screw hole screwed
together with the ball screw shaft 12b.
[0036] The lateral moving table 6 according to the present
embodiment is movably supported in a x-axis direction parallel to a
shaft center 3i of the wound body 3 via a lateral moving means 13.
As shown in FIG. 2, the lateral moving means 13 of the present
embodiment comprises a ball screw shaft 13b and a guide rail 13a in
the x-axis direction disposed in the lift table 9, and an end of
the ball screw shaft 13b is connected with a lateral move motor
(not shown) attached to the lift table 9. The lateral moving table
6 comprises a guide portion guided by the guide rail 13a and a nut
portion screwed together with the ball screw shaft 13b. Therefore,
the applicator 4 can freely change portions in the up-and-down
direction (z-axis direction) and the lateral direction (x-axis
direction) by the actuations of the lift motor M1 and the lateral
move motor.
[0037] The applicator 4 comprises at least a transporting conveyor
7 mounted on the lateral moving table 6 integrally movably. The
present embodiment shows a case that the applicator 4 comprises the
transporting conveyor 7 and a pressing conveyor 8 disposed
thereabove.
[0038] The transporting conveyor 7 comprises a plurality of guiding
rollers 10 and a transporting belt 11 guided rotatably by the
guiding rollers 10. AS shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transporting
belt 11 is provided in a top surface with a transporting surface
11S, and the rubber strip T is transported on the transporting
surface 11S from a receiving position P1 from the rubber strip
supplier 2 to a discharging position P2 to the wound body 3. As
conceptually shown in FIG. 5, a width center line of the
transporting surface 11S extends in a straight line over the entire
length of the transporting surface 11S. That is to say, the
transporting surface 11S comprises the transporting surface width
centerline 11j extending in a straight line over the entire length
thereof.
[0039] A plurality of guiding rollers 10 are distributed into
forward-side guiding rollers 10A including a foremost-side guiding
roller 10a disposed on the foremost side in the transporting
direction, and backward-side guiding rollers 10B including a
backmost-side guiding roller 10b disposed on the backmost side in
the transporting direction. The forward-side guiding rollers 10A
are held tiltibly around the transporting surface width centerline
11j. Thus, the transporting surface 11S comprises, as shown in FIG.
5, a twistable twisting transporting surface portion 11SM around
the transporting surface width centerline 11j between a
forward-side transporting surface portion 11SA supported by the
forward-side guiding rollers 10A and a backward-side transporting
surface portion 11SB supported by the backward-side guiding rollers
10B.
[0040] In particular, the applicator 4 comprises a first frame 15
fixed to the lateral moving table 6 integrally movably, and a
second frame 16 held tiltibly by the first frame 15 around the
transporting surface width centerline 11j.
[0041] The first frame 15 comprises a side-panel-like basal portion
15A rising at one edge of the lateral moving table 6. The basal
portion 15A extends rearward over a back end of the lateral moving
table 6, and the basal portion 15A is provided on the back end side
with a mounting panel portion 15B for mounting the second frame
flatly for example. And to the basal portion 15A, the backward-side
guiding roller 10B is pivoted.
[0042] The second frame 16 comprises a support shaft 17 being
concentric with the transporting surface width centerline 11j. The
support shaft 17 is rotatably pivoted around the transporting
surface width centerline 11j by the bearing holder 18 attached to
the mounting panel portion 15B. The second frame 16 of the present
embodiment comprises a rear panel portion 16A attached to the
support shaft 17,and a front panel portion 16B extending toward the
forward side replicated from an upper end of the rear panel portion
16A, for example. The front panel portion 16B is provided on the
forward end side with a side-panel-like side panel portion 16B1
parallel to the basal portion 15A. To the side panel portion 16131,
the forward-side guiding rollers 10A are pivoted.
[0043] The support shaft 17 is connected with an actuation motor
(not shown) controllable in angle of rotation such as a step motor.
And the backmost-side guiding roller 10b is connected with an
actuation motor M2, thereby rotatably actuating the transporting
belt 11.
[0044] The second frame 16 comprises a cutting means 19 for cutting
the rubber strip Ton the forward-side transporting surface portion
11SA. The cutting means 19 according to the present invention
comprises a rotary shaft 19A rotatably actuated, and a cutter blade
19B extending radially outward from the periphery thereof. In the
cutting means 19, the cutter blade 19B goes into a 360-degree roll
at the same speed as the rubber strip T, thereby the rubber strip T
can be cut while transporting. The cutter blade 19B is provided on
its lower side with a guiding roller 10A1 having a comparatively
large diameter, which supports the transporting belt 11 from
underneath at the time of cutting.
[0045] The pressing conveyor 8, as shown in rig. 6, a plurality of
upper guiding rollers 20 and a pressing belt 21 rotatably guided by
the upper guiding rollers 20. The pressing belt 21 pushes the
rubber strip T against the transporting belt 11, thereby preventing
peeling, shifting, slipping and the like of the rubber strip T from
the transporting belt 11. A pressing surface 21S of the pressing
belt 21 comprises a frontward-side pressing surface portion 21SA
pressing the rubber strip T against the forward-side transporting
surface portion 11SA, a backward-side pressing surface portion 21SB
pressing against the backward-side transporting surface portion
11SB, and a twisting pressing surface portion 21SM pushing against
the twisting transporting surface portion 11SM.
[0046] In particular, the upper guiding rollers 20 are distributed
into forward-side upper guide rollers 20A including a foremost-side
upper guide roller 20a disposed on the foremost side in the
transporting direction, and backward-side upper guide rollers 20B
including a backmost-side upper guide roller 20b disposed on the
backmost side in the transporting direction. And the backward-side
upper guide rollers 20B are pivoted by the basal portion 15A of the
first frame 15 as the same way as backward-side guiding rollers
10B. The forward-side upper guide rollers 20A are pivoted by the
side panel portion 16B1 of the second frame 16 as the same way as
the forward-side guiding rollers 10A.
[0047] The pressing belt 21 according to the present embodiment
comprises a rear pressing belt 21B disposed on the backward side of
the cutting means 19, and a front pressing belt 21A disposed on the
frontward side of the cutting means 19.
[0048] The bonding device 1 according to the present embodiment is
provided on the frontward side of the transporting conveyor 7 with
a pressure bonding means 22. The pressure bonding means 22 bonds
the rubber strip T applied on the wound body 3 by pressing against
the wound body 3. The pressure bonding means 22 is provided at a
rod lower end of the cylinder 22A with a pressure roller 22B
pivoted via a holder. The cylinder 22A is supported by the side
panel portion 16B1 of the second frame 16, and the pressure roller
22B is pivoted parallel to the forward-side guiding rollers 10A.
Therefore, the pressure roller 22B is tiltible around the
transporting surface width centerline 11j and can to bond the
rubber strip T with an inclination in concert with the profile of
the wound body.
[0049] As shown in FIG. 7 (A), the transporting belt 11 of the
transporting conveyor 7 has preferably a wider width than the
rubber strip T, and the pressing belt 21 of the pressing conveyor 8
is preferably narrower than the rubber strip T. As shown in FIGS. 7
(B) and 7(C), an gyrating angle theta (.theta.) gyratable around
the transporting surface width centerline 11j while fastening the
rubber strip T with the narrow pressing belt 21 without changing
the lengths of the belts 11, 21 is about +/-80 degrees. Therefore,
the gyrating angle theta (.theta.) of the present embodiment is set
to in a range of from -80 to +80 degrees.
[0050] In the bonding device 1 according to the present embodiment,
as described above, the lift table 9 and the lateral moving table 6
support the applicator 4 variably in the up-and-down direction
(z-axis direction) and in the lateral direction (x-axis direction).
Therefore, the rubber strip T can be accurately bonded in concert
with the profile around the non-linear cylinder-like wound body 3
in cooperation with the gyrating motion around the transporting
surface width centerline 11j as shown in FIG. 8, meanwhile, as
substitute for the lift table 9 and the lateral moving table 6, the
wound body 3 also can removably support in the up-and-down
direction (z-axis direction) and in the lateral direction (x-axis
direction) with respect to the applicator 4.
[0051] The above has described in detail a particularly preferred
embodiment of the present invention, the invention is not limited
to the embodiments shown, can be implemented by modifying to
various aspects.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SIGN
[0052] 1 Bonding device
[0053] 3 Wound body
[0054] 4 Applicator
[0055] 7 Transporting conveyor
[0056] 8 Pressing conveyor
[0057] 10 Guiding roller
[0058] 10a Foremost-side guiding roller
[0059] 10A Forward-side guiding roller
[0060] 10b Backmost-side guiding roller
[0061] 10B Backward-side guiding roller
[0062] 11 Transporting belt
[0063] 11S Transporting surface
[0064] 11j Transporting surface width centerline
[0065] 11SA Forward-side transporting surface portion
[0066] 11SB Backward-side transporting surface portion
[0067] 11SM Twisting transporting surface portion
[0068] 15 First frame
[0069] 16 Second frame
[0070] 20 Upper guiding roller
[0071] 21 Pressing belt
[0072] 21S Pressing surface
[0073] 21SA Frontward-side pressing surface portion
[0074] 21SB Backward-side pressing surface portion
[0075] 21SM Twisting pressing surface portion
[0076] T Rubber strip
* * * * *